Arya stormed out of the restaurant in a daze. She didn't listen to the call of the ajhussi calling her from behind and went straight out. She needed to be alone. She didn't expect to break down like that in front of Jin.

And Jin discovering her self-harming tendency? Well, she didn't want anyone to know about that either.

Before another anxiety attack rippled through her, she needed to get out of there. She didn't notice the heavy rains outside and went straight out in the street.
Her trembling hand fumbled in her apron's pocket to bring out a small vial and popped two pills inside her mouth and covered her mouth with her palm so that she can't spit out the bitter pills.

The feeling of heavy rain washed over her, she took defeated steps aimlessly. Overwhelming emotions were sinking more into her, probably raindrops always had this, increasing the intensity of the emotions.

The feeling of guilt, the feeling of being wronged- will it ever go away?

Was she really innocent? If she was, why was she still feel the guilt of the deaths of others' lives?
Was Jeremy too wrong to try to punish her?

She could feel the eyes of the people passing by bore into her who were soaking wet and a mess in the middle of the downpour.

She knows now why did she leave the airforce.

She was proven innocent, but she knew she was already a villain in everyone's eyes.
People whispered at each other about her wherever she went, they smiled at her just because there was nothing to do in return for her smile. She became all alone.
A villain in history.

She thought she could endure it. She did nothing wrong, why would she back off just because of what other people thought about her? She did endure until she couldn't anymore and resigned herself.

It wasn't her decision to leave, but the people pushed her to the edge.
Were they happy?

After her trembling subsided a little, she tiredly sat down on the pavement, not having enough strength to hold herself up anymore

It has been years. But why didn't things become easier? Why are the memories still so vivid and real?

The rain slowed down for a while now and sniffing her tears away, she brought out a cigarette pack and hung one in her lips.
The lighter wasn't working. Knowing it's all useless, she still tried to ignite it a few times, and finally knowing it was in vain, she threw it on the ground. Nothing was going in her favor today.

A hand casually lit her cigarette from her side.

Arya inhaled a mouth full of smoke from the damp cigarette and let out a shaky breath, "Thanks."

"You ok now?"

Arya looked up to see Jin standing beside her, with an umbrella in his hand.

Surprisingly enough, Arya realized, she really felt better now. She looked at her cigarette and sighed, "Sorry, you had to see me like this."

Jin offered a hand to her which she took after a moment of staring at it. Standing up, she smiled a little seeing Jin's calm face, "don't be so good to me, Jin. I did terrible things to you."

"Come with me," Jin just said this much not letting her hands go.

"Where?"

"NIS is looking for you. I talked with Cheif. He said to take you away for a few days until everything settles down and he brings everything under control." He was all business.

"What?"

"You hacked into NIS."

"How did you...?" Arya's voice was quite surprised. She took enough precautions to not get caught.

"Don't underestimate Taehyung," Jin mumbled and looked at her eyes.
"Why did you do that?"

"Nobody was telling me anything I needed to know. And having bits and pieces of memories were all terrifying." Arya visibly shivered, "I just wanted to have a look into the files regarding my time. Yes, I know there's nothing about me there anymore..."

"So you searched up about everyone related to you for context." Jin completed Arya's sentence.

Arya again shivered, "I am sorry. I have read your records. I know what I did to you back then...I am sorry!"

Jim quietly put off his overcoat and wrapped it around Arya's body,
"Don't bother, it's all in past now."

Arya was standing in a big hall being all puzzled and dazzled by the elegance around her.

Jin left her in the foyer, a maiden brought her some dry clothes, but she wasn't even done with the marvel around her.
This family was hella loaded.
And of pure class.

Arya still was in her puzzled state when the maiden came back with a pot of tea and looked at her warmly,
"Can I offer you a cup of hot beverage?"

So not only Jin was particular in his word choice, but also the maidens of his house? Arya almost laughed but controlled herself.

"Thank you, Where is Jin?"

"You mean young master Seokjin?"

"Yeah yeah, your whatever master Seokjin." Arya almost groaned. This extremely proper environment was irking her out.

"He is in the library, waiting for our master to see him."

"Waiting for seeing him? What is it? Some kind of appointment or what? He can just go and see his father!"

The maiden smiled nicely, "That's not how this house works."

"I can't even imagine that." Arya almost sighed and shivered, "where is Jin's mother?"

"She had a stroke long ago and she died a few years back after staying in hospital for years."
The maiden was polite but sensing Arya must be someone important as her young master brought her home, she wasn't hesitant to tell her whatever she wanted to know.

"Jin said he has a younger brother."

"Right you are."

"Where is he?"

"Serving the family tradition." Though the maiden was polite, her voice couldn't hide the hint of bitterness.

"Hey...what is the family tradition?" Arya frowned.

"It's nothing!" The maiden quickly smiled, "It's nothing."

"Unnie, tell me." Arya smiled at her warmly and took the cup of tea that was offered to her.

"He is serving in the Air force right now."

"And that's a family tradition?"

"Yes, Every male of this family served in the force since the colonial time. These two brothers- they had no choice."

"You are saying, they didn't want to do this?"

"When young master resigned from the air force, our master wasn't pleased." The maiden sighed a little,
"Now Jungkook is going through the  'holding up the tradition'- phase. That boy...He always wanted to be an artist."

Wait, where did she hear the name before?

"You seem to know them very well," Arya commented.

"Yes. I was here from the very beginning. Junkook- he is all about adrenaline and adventure. But that boy is a born artist and he wanted to become one. But here we go- another great pilot in the family to keep up the family honor and tradition!"

"This family seems to have some serious issues!" Arya chuckled, "No wonder Jin grew up to be like this."

"Yes. When our master took him in, he was the sweetest boy I have ever seen, quiet, nerdy, and proper- but very sweet indeed."

"Took him in?" Arya frowned a little.

"Oh, yeah you probably don't know." The maiden smiled a little, "This isn't his actual family. After his parents died at a very early age, His maternal aunt adopted him. This is his uncle's home you can say."

"Oh." Arya instantly remembered that she noticed the difference in the surname of Jin and his father years ago. She always wondered why he was Kim being part of the Jeon family.

"look at us. I kept you so occupied!" The maiden suddenly rushed, "Let me show you the guest room, you should change the dress."

Arya bowed in all thankfulness and followed the maiden.

On her way, she noticed a picture in the corner of his eyes, and she stopped in her track.

Jin was there, in the library.
Kneeling before a man. His head hung low, palms slightly clutching his knees.

Arya was curious. Never had she ever seen Jin like this. She knew she shouldn't, but still, she walked towards the library.

The man standing in front of Jin resembled a mountain. Not in physique, but in personality.
He was radiating dominance and a strong personality in front of whom Jin seemed fragile and vulnerable.

"Help me, uncle," Jin said slowly, head still hanging low.

"I told you to stay away from it I even lost count how many times. Did you listen? Why would you need my help now?" The man's voice contained so much power that Arya almost cringed.

"Help me, uncle." Jin was still in the same posture and tone.

"You left the force without even consulting me. You joined NIS without my acceptance, you left everything I prepared you for your whole life- now you need my help? You disappoint me."

"Chill, dude!" before she knew it, Arya was inside the library.

The two heads snapped in her direction.

Arya casually walked beside Jin and patted his shoulder indicating him to get up and looked at the man in front of them, "don't be so strict to your family, please. He is a grown-ass man, he is allowed to take his decisions on his own without consulting you. Take it easy, man."

The face of the man was such a marvel to see. He never encountered such bold and laid-back remarks regarding his words and actions before. Every person seemed to get dimmed in front of his aura.

Well, not this girl.

Seeing the look of displeasure and frown, Arya became aware of her state.

Damp clothes and hair. A complete mess and total odd fit in this proper house.

In the middle of the elegance and class, she was the only unnecessary thing that didn't belong here.
She looked at herself and smiled foolishly, "Sorry for the cut in, but you need to be proud of your son in case you don't remember."

The man looked back and forth to both of them and Jin calmly interjected, "Arya. Stay out of it, please."

Arya didn't give any attention to Jin and looked at the man she almost worshipped once, the legendary General Jeon Jae Su, "He is the person everyone should be proud of. Come on! He has everything anyone could dream of. An example of perfection. And yet you are not satisfied? How high is your expectation, sir?"

"Araya Akaishi, I guess?" The man's voice was calm.

"Yes, sir." Arya saluted her and smiled, "You were my role model, sir. Once upon a time."

"I'd be glad if you help yourself first." His hand indicated the door politely.
But there was a hint of displeasure and coldness in it.

Arya frowned and looked at the man, "You can't be so cold to your family, ok? Or you'll end up just like me one day. Alone. Cherish it when it's still with you. Be proud of it. It wouldn't hurt if you throw a few words of approval or praise once in a while. It would mean a world to your sons I guarantee."

"Miss Akaishi?"

"Yes sir."

"Please." His hands were still gesturing towards the door.

"My apologies, master." The maiden bowed hurriedly towards the man and held the hand of Arya and whispered, "come with me, miss."

After Arya went out, she looked at the maiden, "Is he always like that?"

"Stricter and..." The maiden shrugged a little, "colder."

"Holy moly. No wonder Jin himself is a strict stone with no hints of emotions in him. Such a cold man."

"Young master is a kind man. Only because of him, second young master's life became so complicated."

"You mean Jungkook, right?"

"Yes." The maiden nodded.

"How so?"

"Imagine being compared always with the best version of a man ever possible the entire span of his life." The maiden sighed.

"Jungkook was always compared with Jin?"

"Isn't it obvious? He was always expected to be like him, in every way possible."

"So, the relationship between two brothers is not good?" Arya guessed a bit.

"Wrong. The opposite." The maiden smiled a bit.
"Young master loves his brother the most. So does he. And I'll say because of the young master, the younger one was spared a lot. He protected him like no one ever did. He took all the expectations on his shoulder and carried out the big responsibilities as the son of that mountain. Yes, they got compared, but the young master was always there to ensure that the younger one never got expected or forced to do what he didn't want. Be it makes him a disappointment in his father's eyes."

"A complex family," Arya commented.

"Young master probably cares for only one person in this whole world. His brother."

"Oh, I remember!" Arya suddenly cheered making the maiden surprise a bit.
"The group of the boys said his name!"

The maiden didn't get her blabbering but she nodded nonetheless.

Arya remembered Jimin saying Jungkook's name. He said he, Taehyung, and Jungkook was trained by Jin himself. So they were brothers?

Arya remembered Jin never going on vacations when they were in the academy, rather he always applied for special courses as she did. He once said he missed his brother but he can't go back home.

So the time she was thinking Jin flexing his skills and being the teacher's obedient pet, he was actually just working his ass off for meeting the expectations? How much pressure did he feel there?

Probably a lot. Alone.
No one to share his burden with. He was alone there with no one by his side. He just fought alone the whole time.

Not just alone with pressure, but in addition, a careless, bragging unique piece of pain in ass behind him, sticking her nose up in everything he did.

He had goals where she was just- distraction and chaos and the embodiment of freedom that he didn't have. She was carefree and way out of the rules and strictness in which he was raised from the start. She made him question the validity of the norms and degraded the reality he lived in his whole life. She made him question his beliefs and crave the freedom she had.

No wonder he didn't like her.
No wonder.